Machine for preclipping veneer sheets to size



Oct. 19, 1954 A. c. CARLSON MACHINE FOR PRECLIPPING VENEER SHEETS TOSIZE Filed May 6, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. ARTHUR C CARLSOA/ BY 3I g A TTOR/VE Y5 Oct. 19, 1954 CVCARLSON 2,691,995

INE FOR PRECLIPPING VENEER SHEETS TO 5 INVENTOR. ARTHUR C CAEL 901v Oct.19, 1954 A. c. CARLSON 2,691,995

MACHINE FOR PRECLIPPING VENEER SHEETS TO SIZE Filed May 6, 1950 4Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ARTHUR C (342130 A T70EA/EY3 Oct. 19, 1954 A.c. CARLSON MACHINE FOR PRECLIPPING VENEER SHEETS TO SIZE Filed May 6,1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 4- INVENTOR Aer-Hue C. CA ELSON 'rflMAm A r TORNE vsPatented Oct. 19, 1954 MACHINE FOR PRECLIPPING VENEER SHEETS TO SIZEArthur C. Carlson, Anacortes, Wash., assignor,

by mesne assignments, to American Manufacturing Company, Inc., Tacoma,Wash., a corporation of Washington Application May 6, 1950, Serial No.160,537

11 Claims. (Cl. 144-1) In my Patent No. 2,544,133, issued March 6, 1951,is disclosed a process. and a mechanism for the edge gluing or splicingof wood veneer strips into a continuous web of indeterminate length.This process is characterized by the bowing of the strips in thedirection of their lengths and of their grain, hence transverse to theresultant Web, while they are passing through the gluesetting station,the bowing being progressive leading to that station. Most veneer isemployed in the manufacture of plywood panels of standard sizes, andwebs heretofore formed by edge-gluing while the strips are fiat canreadily be subdivided or clipped into corresponding widths, but thecurvature of the issuing web, as manufactured according to my patentabove, introduces complications, and makes it difficult to clip off itthe requisite panel widths.

In long-employed previous processes the veneer is kept substantiallyflat in a common plane while being spliced (see for example Weber PatentNo. 1,702,185), or else is bent, about a long radius, about a largecylinder, say of six feet or more in diameter, stressing the wood in thestrips and in the web in a direction transverse to the grain, but notlongitudinally thereof (see the Miller Patents Nos. 2,290,761 and2,290,762). In either case, upon completion of the setting of theglue-using the latter term generically-the web remains in or can bereturned to planiform condition without appreciably stressing the veneerin a manner tending to split it, and it is a simple matter to performthe clipping operation at the desired spacings, and immediately beyondthe glue-setting station, so as to clip out from the planiform web theveneer sheets of required width, and to stack them. Being planiformduring clipping, no stresses tend to split the veneer lengthwise itsgrain. However, when the splicing is done in accordance with the processin my Patent No. 2,544,133, since the individual strips duringglue-setting, and hence the completed web after glue-setting, are bentin the direction of the length of the grain, it has been foundimpracticable to clip the web upon its issuance from the glue-settingzone. The web is advancing at a speed of about 30 feet a minute, and isbowed to a chordal depth of perhaps one foot. Even if it be assumed thatthe entrance of a, clipper knife at the middle of the bow (or at anyother single point) would not start a wild split in the veneer, butwould make a clean straight out the entire width of the web-a hardlyvalid assumption-no such knife could move down and back to a depth of afoot rapidly enough to avoid interrupting the advance of the veneer web,and causing it to pile up and split against the knifes breadth. Neitheris it feasible to provide a knife curved correspondingly to the bow ofthe veneer web, so as to enter simultaneously at all points, and only tothe depth of; the veneers thickness. It has proven wholly impracticableto clip the finished web while it is curved, yet it has been foundimpracticable to flatten it again, preparatory to clipping in the usualway.

For one thing, the flattening would have to be done very gradually, forotherwise stresses would arise in the veneer, (between less curved andmore. greatly curved portions, for example, such as would split it atfrequent intervals, nullifying the continuity which the edge-gluingoperation is intended to produce. Such gradual flattening mighttheoretically be accomplished by a long off-bearing table, somewhat thereverse of the feed section of the veneer splicer, but much longer forthe reason that it must flatten a continuous fragile web, wherein allstrips are joined and react one upon the others, rather than beingconcerned only with the bowing of individual, unjoined strips as in thefeed section. In practice such a long off-bearing flattening table wouldintroduce further problems and disadvantages, not the least whereof isthe extreme length and floor space it would require. Floor space isalways lacking in a veneer plant, and such a long off-bearing tablecannot be tolerated,

even were it technically feasible.

Accordingly, it has been a problem to clip veneer, spliced according tomy new process, into panel widths from a continuous web, with therequisite degree of accuracy and straightness of edge without entailingother problems, such as injury to the web, or the use of excessivespace, and yet until the problem of clipping could be solved theadvantages of the edge-gluing process of the patent could not berealized in commercial practice. It is the object of the presentinvention to provide a process and apparatus for carrying out the samewhich will effect the division of this type of web into sheets of therequisite and minimum width while at the same time solving or avoidingthe corollary problems involved.

Additionally, and as a direct result of the clipping process involvedherein, it is an object to effect the flattening and off-bearing of theindividual sheets after glue-setting in a novel and simple manner,likewise requiring a minimum of floor space and very simple mechanism.

With reference to the mechanism, it is an object of this invention toprovide mechanism for carrying out the process indicated which can beoperated under manual control, or automatically, to clip along astraight line, such as is necessary in the subsequent step of laying upa laminated plywood panel, and which, especially when operatedautomatically, will insure the clipping to panel widths that are theminimum, consistent with the degree of accuracy employed in laying upthe laminated panels, and the necessity for effecting some trimming,while yet wasting a minimum of veneer.

It is also an object, in the mechanism, to provide in a preferred form atactual element, such as a roller, contacting with the surface of theadvancing veneer as a measuring element, and which is associated withactuating mechanism for the automatic operation of a clipper or thegiving of a signal, and which actuating mechanism is adjustable orvariable to vary the width of sheets to be clipped in accordance withthe mills needs from time to time, so that, for example, a standardforty-eight inch plus width may be clipped or, alternatively, the devicemay be set to clip forty inch plus or thirty-six inch plus sheets, orother sizes as the situation may require.

The surplus width affords allowance for trimming to the stated sizes,and need be only a couple of inches or less.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a study of theattached drawings and of this specification and of the accompanyingclaims.

In the accompanying drawings the invention is shown embodied inmechanism for carrying out the process, the mechanism being illustratedin each of two alternative forms, at least insofar as the tactualelement is concerned.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the completemechanism for splicing veneer including both the feeding and theoffbearing ends, illustrating the relationship of the mechanism of thepresent invention to the veneer splicing mechanism of my priorapplication, and the relationship in point of priority as between theclipping and the splicing operation.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view, the viewpoint being illustrated bythe line 22 of Figure 1, illustrating the spliced veneer web issuingfrom the glue setting portion of the mechanism.

Figure 3 is an isometric view of the feeding and clipping mechanism andof the tactual measuring element in a preferred form of embodiment, andFigure 4 is a similar view, somewhat enlarged, of the tactual element,whereas Figure 5 is a side elevational view of that portion of theactuating mechanism which is adjustable for different sheet widths.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view illustrating a different form ofactuating mechanism, such as is particularly desirable when indefinitelylong runs of a single width are to be clipped, and adjustment fordifferent widths is not necessary, and Figure 7 is in general a planview of the same, the viewpoint being illustrated by the line 1-1 ofFigure 6.

The veneer splicing machine is disclosed in detail in my Patent No.2,544,133, and consequently the showing thereof in Figure 1 of this caseis largely diagrammatic. In effect, the splicing machine includesmechanism such as tapes 9! to advance veneer strips V, each of which isdisposed transversely of the direction of its advance, withoutinterruption toward a high-frequency glue-setting platen indicated at 9,and which includes upper fingers 92 and lower fingers 93 (see Figure 2)that engage closely the upper and lower faces of the veneer strips andwhich maintain them during the actual setting in an attitude whereinthey are curved longitudinally, and are edge-abutted. Intermediate thefeed devices at 9| and the platen at 9 are a series of upper and lowerrollers 94 and 95, respectively, each of which series, from the feed-ondevices at 9! to the platen at 9 are arranged in arcs, transverse to thedirection of advance, of increasingly lessening radius, until the finalset of rollers conforms closely to the curvature of the platen at 9.Tapes or chains 91 may run from each roller 96 to the next roller ahead.Thus the initial groups of rollers 94, 95 or equivalent means receivethe veneer strips V in a substantially flat condition and succeedinggroups increasingly bow them and stress them lengthwise of the grainuntil, as explained more fully in my patent, all localized stresses areovercome and the abutting edges of the adjoining strips conform each tothe other in curvature along their entire abutting edges. An adhesivehas previously been placed between such abutting edges, so that whenthey pass the platen 9 and are there subjected to highfrequency currentdischarge the adhesive is promptly set, and the web issues at D as onecontinuous, but transversely curved, ribbon or web.

As has previously been indicated, it would be extremely difficult toeffect clipping of this traveling web at all while it is in this curvedcondition, or to clip it along an accurately straight line, such as isrequired in laying up of laminated panels if large wastage is to beavoided, and it is equally obvious that it would require a veryconsiderable length of off-bearing table to enable flattening again ofthe web without so stressing it as to split the veneer of which it isformed, which, in turn, would nullify the eifect of edgegluing orsplicing the individual strips.

Therefore, instead of attempting to flatten out the continuous veneerweb, or attempting to clip it while in its curved and stressedcondition, and while it is advancing, I have provided for the clippingof the veneer while it is still in the form of flat separate strips Vyet to be joined, and then, still retaining parts in their assembledrelationship, the edge joints, between which the adhesive was previouslyapplied, will be set and joined as they pass through the platen 9, butthe clipped joints, since they will have no adhesive between them, willnot be edge-joined again, and the veneer will issue at the deliverypoint D in preclipped panel widths or sheets. Each sheet is readilyflattened, since it is unrestrained by connection to the issuing web,and no stresses are set up if, immediately upon issuance of eachpreclipped sheet, it is abruptly relieved of stress throughout itsentire width, and thereby flattened. This procedure is preferred, and isa secondary feature of the process.

One such sheet is shown at Z, in Figure 1. It has issued beyond theplaten 9, has been supported While issuing upon a bar 96, which islocated centrally with respect to the ends of the acoigoos sheet Z, andthis bar is in the nature of an elevator which. lowers. the sheet, and.in the course of lowering. it the. air cushion tends. to lift itsdrooping ends, and finally cooperating elements engage its ends tosupport them asv the center continues downwardly, and thus to flattenthe sheet, and means not shown effect the orf-bearing and stacking ofsuccessive flattened sheets. This off-bearing mechanism and elevator perseconstitutes the subject matter of a companionapplication, Serial No.160,538, filed May 6, 1950, now Patent No. 2,649,976, wherein the sameis more fully described.

To complete the description of Figure 1, traveling tapes constitute feedmeans whereon individual strips of veneer, with their edges jointed trueand with glue applied thereto, are laid up in slightly spacedrelationship, each strip having its grain and itself as a stripextending transversely of the direction of advance, and are fed forwardby these feed means I past a tactual element 2, which will be furtherdescribed in detail, and then past a clipper blade 3 which is energized,either manually or automatically, to clip desired .widths from thepotential sheet constituted by the several individual strips as theypass beneath the clipper and are measured by the tactual element 2.These strips are pushed ahead, past the clipper, by on-coming stripsongaging them from behind, and are picked up by the feed means at 9|,and are then conveyed through the splicing machine, as previouslydescribed.

The feed rate of the splicing machine is governed primarily by theability of the operator to feed properly into it the individual strips.With strips running from sis; to eighteen inches in width, such as isordinarily the case, the machine is set to edge-glue strips at the rateof thirty linear feet of web a minute. If the strips are wider, themachine can be spceded up. The individual strips are laid up singlycrosswise of the feed tapes I, which travel at about the set speed. Theindividual strips are laid slightly spaced apart, say an inch orsomewhat farther, and are shortly engaged from above by holddown meanssuch as the tapes I0, which travel at the same speed as the tapes I. Inthis manner, or in any equivalent way, they are retained roughly in acommon plane as they travel over what is in eifect a feed table,although no at tempt is made to flatten out their individual waves andkinks in this feed section. Eventually they pass beyond the ends of thetapes l and 1e, and beyond this point they are supported upon a table20. Since there is no means to feed them positively across the table 29,each strip as it arrives there under the influence of the feed means Iand it pushes ahead of it the previously fed strips, and comes to amomentary halt just clear of the tapes and id, until the slight gapbetween it and the following veneer strip is closed, whereupon theadvance resumes. The result thus accomplished is that each gap isclosed, and each veneer strip is adjusted. in its own plane if need beuntil it contacts along its. entire leading edge with the trailing edgeof the previously fed strip. The measuring element, which might be avisual scanning element, but which is preferably simply a tactualelement, is represented by the roller 2, which rests in contact with theupper surface of the strips. This element measures accurately andcumulatively the individual strip widths, or perhaps more correctly, thepotential sheet width, and there is no gaprbetween sheets to constitutea source of potential error, for the. location ofthe roller ineuros thatthe gaps. are closed before the roller is required to. function. When.the cumulative measurement corresponding to a single sheet width iscompleted, the clipper blade 3. is. actuated, descends and reascendsrapidly, and in cooperation with theresilient. cushion 30; (or in. anyother known manner) shears: off the individual strip which is beneath.it, and. divides that individual strip into a leading portion which isto be adhered to the. strip ahead of it, and. a remainder or trailingportion which is to be adhered tov the strip which followsit. Theparticular forms of the tactual. element, of the actuating mechanism.for the clipper, and. of the energizing means which are under control ofthe tactual element, are not important to the process, and will bedescribed in greater detail hereinafter.

The clippers. downward: movement is followed immediately by its upwardmovement, the whole occurring with. sufiicient. rapidity that the ad-Vance of the veneer strips already past the clip.- per is notappreciably halted. The remainder, in advance of the clipper, haltsuntil it isadvanced againby the oncoming strips behind it. A slight gapmay open along the clipped line, but the edge abutment. of the stripswhich have already passed the clipper not interfered with. These veneerstrips, after passing the clipper blade at 3, continue onward, beingpicked up by the feed tapes 9|, by which they are. advanced through thesplicer as previously described. In this connectionthe feed through thesplicer is so arranged that the rearmost portions of a given sheetwidth, as also the forward portion of the following sheet width, arepushed against those ahead, to insure tightness of all joints, and thereis no likelihood that any portion of a given sheet will lag behind orthat it will fail to be edge-glued properly to the adjoining strips ofits sheet.

The form of measuring roller or tactual element which is shown inFigures 6 and. 7 is entirely suitable for use where the sheet width isnot to be changed from, time to time. The form shown in Figures 3, 4 and5,. on the contrary, is better suited for. use where it may be necessaryto clip varying sheet, widths at different times, although it will beunderstood that the. device is normally set for a run. of someappreciable number of sheets. of a single width, and is not intend ed tobe changed during a run.

Describing the simpler form first, that of Figures 6 and 7, the roller 2is journaled in an arm 2| which is pivotally mounted at 22 from asupporting frame element 40, and is urged downwardly against the top.surface of the veneer strips with such force. as may be necessary, bysuch means as the spring 23.. A chain 2.4. transmits rotation of theroller 2 to. a. shaft 25 and, in turn, to a chain 26;, likewisesupported upon the arm 2|, which chain carries tripelements 5|! of anenergizing or control means, at, intervals corresponding to the requiredsheet. widths. The complemental control or energizing element is in theformof a switch at 5, fixedly mounted upon the arm 2| and engaged, uponcompletion of a given travel of the chain 2-6 and consequently of agiven rotation of the roller 2, with this energizing switch 5. Thelatter is operatively connected to control actuation of the clipperblade 3. For example, and as is shown in Figure 3, the clip-per blademay be supported by toggle links 3| from a frame element 4, andtheselinks 3| are maintained in angled position, by means of a comi 7 monactuating bar 32 connected to the plunger 33 of an air cylinder 34, orthe like. A control valve 35, for the supply of air under pressure tothe cylinders 34 and for the venting thereof, is electrically controlledfrom the switch 5, the circuit being indicated at 36. In consequencewhenever the switch is engaged by the passing complemental element 5|,in the form of Figures 6 and 7, the control valve 35 is actuated, andtheplunger is projected or retracted, as the case may be, to bring thetoggle links 3| into alignment and then as part of the same movement toreverse their relative angular position, thus lowering the clippingblade "3, fixedly guided at 39, into and raising it immediately from itsclipping position. This particular clipper is intended to berepresentative only, and any suitable form of clipper orclipper-actuating means may be employed in lieu thereof.

The form of the contact or measuring roller 2 and associated mechanism,such as is shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, is better suited to adjustmentfor clipping different widths of sheets. The wheel is urged into contactwith the strips by springs 23. Through a chain 24 and an approximatelythree to one sprocket wheel reduction, a sprocket gear 21 and a ratchetwheel 6 on shaft 28 are rotated continuously, that is to say, wheneverthe veneer advances, which is substantially continuously, in thedirection shown by the arrows in Figure 4. A dog 60 is pivotally ortiltably mounted at 6| upon a disk 62 which is rotative about the shaft28, but independently of rotation of the ratchet wheel 6 and thesprocket gear 21. Moreover, this disk 62 is connected to a fixed disk63, the connection between these two disks being a yieldable one, bysuch means as the torsion spring 54. The spring 64 exercises a constanttendency to rotate the disk 62 in the sense opposite to the rotation ofdisk 6, that is to say, back against the teeth of the ratchet disk is.However, so long as the dog 6i! is engaged with these teeth, and so longas the disk 6 is rotated with the sprocket wheel 21, the disk 62 mustrotate also, in opposition to and in a manner to increase the force ofthe spring 64.

The switch 5 is located in such position with respect to the dog 60 asto be itself engaged by, and to offer such resistance to, the dog as totilt it and disengage it from the teeth of the disk 6, as is illustratedin dotted lines at the top of Figure 5. When this occurs, the disk 62will sharply reverse its sense of rotation, under the influence of thespring 64, and will return immediately towards its initial point,carrying with it the dog 60, frictionally held in its disengagedposition. The angular amount by which the dog returns toward itsstarting point until it reengages the teeth of the ratchet wheel 6determines the sheet width, for it determines how far the measuringwheel 2 must roll again before the cated notches 61 in the periphery ofthe fixed disk 63.

Some slight error may be introduced by the time factor betweendisengagement and reengagement of the dog, while the disk 6 continues to8 rotate, but this is negligible, and can be largely compensated for inthe design of the mechanism.

It is believed that the process is clear from what has already beensaid, and that it is unnecessary to repeat the description of the same.However, it is desired to emphasize that the basic novelty in theprocess resides in the preclipping of the veneer strips, especiallywhenever but not necessarily only when, the same are to be thus bowedduring splicing, in advance of their edgejoining or splicing, and inaccordance With measurements or indications derived from the individualstrips, as by a tactual element. While the operation described is anautomatic one, it is clear that the roller 2 and its associatedmechanism might be arranged to give a visual or audible signal, and thatthe clipping might be effected under manual control of an operator,guided by such a signal.

It overlying chains or tapes 9! overlie the veneer strips during theirbowing, these will hold down even slivers. While it is preferable toleave some marginsay a quarter inch or more-between a clipped line and ajoint to be glued, the machine and the process will operatesatisfactorily even on slivers, and such will be joined properly to theintended sheet edge. It is, therefore, quite unnecessary to payattention to the closeness of the clip-line to a joining edge, or toavoid crossing a joining edge with a clip-line.

Indeed, the present machine and process possess the very distinctadvantage, over all machines known to me as usable at commercial ratesof feed, of eliminating the necessity for constant watchfulness againstaccumulated wedgelike strips, and of constant preparation for andimmediate action to correct such distortion in the web as theseaccumulated wedges will produce. Any accumulation of wedges will tend toswing the webs longitudinal axis about an are, so in a well-known andwidely-used commercial edgegluer, the feed operator must be alert toremove any badly wedged piece and substitute another less wedged, and hemust provide himself with wedges, having glue upon their edges, ready toinsert in the web to counteract any such distortional tendency which hasgone too far for correction by removal of a strip; because the feed ispositive and continuous from the feed station to and past the gluesetting station, with little opportunity for catching up of a laggingstrip, he must watch closely for any such tendency, and must actpromptly, or a gap will open in the web, which can never be closed.There exists the same tendency to departure from a straight line, in thepresent machine, but whenever such a tendency develops, the feedoperator can remove a badly wedged strip, or he can procure and insert acorrective wedge, and if the web has traveled on past the clipper, orinto the platen, he knows that the gap opened by the removed wedge, orhis corrective wedge, will close up or catch up correctly, and that nogap will remain, notwithstanding some delay. The potential web will notcomplete passage beyond the clipper until a full sheet width has passedtherebeyond, since it must be pushed through from behind, and if thereis no oncoming strip to push, the partial width will wait until the samearrives. Similarly at the platen; unless the web is complete, and ispushed through from behind, the advance halts until oncoming stripsarrive to push. The operator is not working under pressure, yet eachsheet is complete.

Hold-down bars and the like are illustrated at 99 to insure that the asyet unjoined strips are held in a common plane against overriding asthey advance to the entrance of the splicing section of the machine, butthese and similar mechanical details are not in themselves, or at leastare not in their particular form, essential to the present invention, solong-as the result indicated is accomplished.

The subsidiary feature, flattening Of the sheet widths immediately upontheir issuance from the plate 9 or other guide means that holds thembowed, is particularly related to the operations of edge-gluing thestrips while they are bowed, and the preclipping to sheet'widths. *W erethere no bowing, there would be less reason for preclipping, and ifthere were no preclipping there would be no reason nor opportunity forabrupt flattening from the bowed form. The process as a whole, includingpreclipping and final flattening, is part of the present invention, butthe particular flattening mechanism is the subject matter of mycompanion case, referred to above.

I claim as my invention:

1. Mechanism for assembling wood veneer strips into sheets ofpredetermined width, preparatory to edge-joining them unitarily in suchsheet widths, which comprises, in combination, means to advanceindividual strips laterally edgewise from a feeding station towards anedgejoining station, means to measure, and to accumulate the measurementof, the widths of successive strips so advancing, clipping meansdisposed in the path of advance of the strips, ahead of the edge-joiningstation, and means, operable in correspondence with the measurements ofsaid measuring means, to clip a strip along a line intermediate itsedges to form, with preceding strips and the previously clippedremainder, one complete sheet width when subsequently edge-joined.

2. Mechanism as and for the purpose set forth in claim 1, characterizedby the provision of clipper-actuating means, of energizing meansresponsive to accumulation of each sheet-width measurement of saidmeasuring means, and an operative connection therebetween forautomatically actuating the clipper at the completion of eachsheet-width accumulation.

3. Mechanism as and for the purpose set forth in claim 2, includingmeans settable at will to vary the accumulation of individualstrip-width measurements, and, thereby to vary the sheetwidth actuationof the clipper.

4. Mechanism as and for the purpose set forth in claim 1, wherein thestrip-advancing means terminates ahead of the clipping station, andstrips previously advanced to or beyond such terminus are edge-abuttedby and advanced farther by newly advancing strips, successively, meansto retain all such edge-abutted strips in a common plane, the measuringmeans including a tactual element located in contact with one surface ofthe strips, and beyond the line of their edge-abutment.

5. Mechanism as and for the purpose set forth in claim 1, characterizedby the provision of clipper-actuating means, the measuring meansincluding a roller located in contact with one surface of the strips, intheir path of advance to the clipping means, energizing means includingan element operatively connected to and for movement with said rollerthrough a fixed closed path, and a relatively fixed element engageableby said movable element upon completion of predetermined extent of;movement, and an operative connection between ,said energizing meansand said clipper-actuating means, for automatically operating theclipper aftera predetermined rotation of said roller.

26. Mechanism for assembling random-width veneer strips/into sheetsrofpredetermined width, preparatory to edge-,J'oining them unitarily insuch sheet widths, which comprises, in combination, a substantiallyhorizontal table, means movable lengthwise-.ofsaid table, from a feedingstation towards an edge-joining station, to advance therealongindividual veneer strips, while each .is disposed transversely of andlaid flat upon said table, a clipper directed transversely of the table,beyond the feeding station, and means to energize said clipperperiodically to clip a passing strip, including a tactual element inmeasuring contact with the surface of advancing strips.

'1. Mechanism for preclipping veneer strips into sheet widths,comprising a feed table, means to advance transversely disposed stripsedgewise into edge-abutting relation, a clipper disposed transversely ofthe resultant continuous but unjoined web, and operable to clip the sameat sheet widths, and mechanism to actuate said clipper automatically,comprising a roller bearing upon the surface of and rotated by the web,a ratchet disk connected for rotation in accordance with rotation ofsaid roller, a concentric second disk, and a dog carried thereby inposition for operative engagement with the ratchet disk, thereby torotate said second disk, spring means resisting such rotation of thesecond disk and urging its return, clipper-actuating means positionedfor operative engagement by said dog, to thereby disengage the dog fromthe ratchet wheel, and means disposed in the spring-urged return path ofthe dog, to engage the same and to reengage it with the ratchet wheel.

8. Mechanism as in claim 7, including means to adjust the position, inthe dogs return path, of said dog-engaging means, to vary the extent ofits return movement.

9. In combination with means at an edgejoining station to edge-joinadvancing strips of wood veneer which have been edge-abutted with anadhesive between their abutted edges into a composite sheet, a feedtable having at least an initial feed station portion which is flat,whereon such strips are successively laid up in generally parallel,adjacent position, means to advance the strips so laid up from the feedstation towards the edge-joining station, the newly laid-up strips at arate such that they will catch up with and edge-abut strips of theassembly of previously laid-up strips, and urge the assembly forwardly,means located between the feed station and the edge-joining station toclip certain flat strips lengthwise during their ad Vance, and means tomeasure the cumulative width of the strips and the trailing remainder ofa previously clipped strip, as a gauge to deter mine the time ofsubsequent actuation of the clipping means with relation to: thecumulative width of such passing edge-abutted but as yet unjoinedstrips, as they advance along the feed table.

10. The combination of claim 9, wherein the feed table is increasinglybowed, transversely of the direction of advance, beyond the initial flatfeed station and towards the edge-joining station, and the edge-joiningstation is bowed corresponding to the maximum curvature of the feedtable, the combination including means to bow the advancing strips, andto retain them thus bowed, in conformity to the bowing of the feedtable, the clipping means being located intermediate the feed stationand the point of curvature of the feed table, to clip the strips beforethey are bowed.

11. The combination of claim 9, including additionally off-bearingmechanism located immediately beyond the edge-joining station, saidoff-bearing mechanism including a bar located lengthwise the directionof advance at a level to underlie and support the crown of the bowed 12sheet as it issues from the edge-joining means, and means to drop saidbar to leave the sheet free to unbow and settle down, when clear of theedge-joining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 10 1,643,194 Black Sept. 20, 1927 1,702,185 Weber Feb. 12,1929 2,317,281 Linquist Apr. 20, 1943 2,457,498 Russell Dec. 28, 19482,544,133 Carlson Mar. 6, 1951

